Jaime Jarrin, the Dodgers’ longtime Spanish broadcaster, started his All-Star week with an Alaskan cruise.

Jarrin, in his 56th year doing play-by-play for the Dodgers, has used the break to take a break since 2011. Working in some time off, and deservedly so, has proved beneficial for the 78-year-old Jarrin.

“What I need now is more time to enjoy myself and my family,” Jarrin said from Dodger Stadium last week. “I don’t need the money. I just need the time to enjoy my family.

“It has taken me away from the routine. Being with family and friends is really great.”

Jarrin long did the national broadcasts for the All-Star Game and postseason, but he opted to give up those games and has enjoyed that extra time with family and friends.

“Not taking any time off and doing the postseason and All-Star Game was too much,” Jarrin said. “Until two years ago, I was doing 210 games a year. I did 32 exhibition games, 162 regular season, the All-Star Game and playoffs. That was 210 games. No other announcer was doing as many games.”

Jarrin loves his job, but he’s found fewer games and working in some time off helps. His eyes light up when discussing his vacation last year with his wife, Blanca, and three other couples.

“I’ve taken vacation during the season and last year we went to Europe,” Jarrin said. “It was a cruise and then we drove around northern Spain, which was wonderful. Spain was so gorgeous. It was the best part of the trip. The food was excellent. The hotels were charming.”

Jarrin is thankful the Dodgers were agreeable to this kind of break each season.

“I have a vacation during the season in my contract now,” Jarrin said. “The Dodgers didn’t object as long as I didn’t take vacation in September. I said, ‘Don’t worry.’ I usually take it in July.”

Jarrin makes sure to work it around the All-Star break so he doesn’t miss too many games.

Jarrin said there will be a time when he’ll take a page from Vin Scully’s book and take off some road trips.

“Eventually I will, I don’t know when,’ Jarrin said. ‘I’ll probably ask to miss some East Coast trips. I love traveling, but the problem is I don’t like to leave my wife alone too much. She’s (already) been to every city.”

Each year in August, the 86-year-old Scully decides if he’ll return to the Dodgers for another season. Jarrin always consults Scully on important decisions.

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“He has always advised me on things to do,” Jarrin said.

The Dodgers are the only Major League Baseball team that features two Hall of Fame broadcasters on the same team. Los Angeles has been wildly lucky in the sports broadcasters department. Scully is in his 65th season with the Dodgers. Bob Miller has called Kings games for 41 years. The late Chick Hearn was the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Lakers.

As much as Jarrin and Scully have given to the Dodgers and their fans, it’s nice to see them taking a little break from the rigors and demands of traveling and calling 162 games, plus the postseason.

Filling in for Jarrin will be Pepe Yniguez, who usually calls the fourth, fifth and six innings. He’ll move into Jarrin’s spot while Jarrin is on vacation and call the first, second, third, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, and any extra innings. Jarrin’s son, Jorge, who does the Spanish-language television broadcasts for Time Warner, will fill in for Yniguez in the middle innings since Time Warner is not doing Spanish-language broadcasts from the road this season.

Jarrin is skipping the Dodgers’ nine-game trip to St. Louis, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. He’ll be back when the Dodgers return home starting with the Atlanta Braves on July 29.

Last year, the Dodgers were in the midst of their 42-8 tear, a run infused by Yasiel Puig’s June callup, when Jarrin left for vacation.

“I came back and I was nervous,” Jarrin said, not wanting to jinx the Dodgers’ hot streak.

Jarrin didn’t jinx the Dodgers, who finished the season two wins away from the World Series.

The Dodgers lead the Giants by one game in the National League West coming out of the All-Star break. And a short break has been just what Jarrin has needed.